Problem Dog

I'm really glad that you aren't giving up on him. I don't know if you have already done this, but maybe you could enrol in a basic obediance class? And then work on the lessons at home as well? This will give you a good opportunity to talk to an experienced dog trainer and also helps the dog to focus on the doing the right things as they become fun for him. Not an immediate solution, but maybe something to consider?

I took him when he was about 16 weeks old it was a six session thing! The first four sessions he was pretty good but come the fifth and sixth he started to loose interest! I was planning on taking him again in the spring when the weather is better and when he is concentrating a bit more! Unfortunately he's not always interested in the treats/tit bits. I've still been doing some of the basics like sit, down, and wait with him which he's pretty good at but stay he's having a problem with for some reason and that was his main one! He's pretty good on the lead and will come back when off the lead providing he's not shouted at!

I put up such a fight to keep him so there is no way I'm going to let him go he had already had around 4 homes before my sister/I got him and he was only 9weeks old when we got him! My sister said just yesterday that she would have got rid of him by now if she still had him just because he's pretty big! I think that is why they complain about him jumping up as our old jack russell used to be worse for jumping but he was a fair bit smaller so they didnt mind!

ok i've never ever owned a dog, but have been around a lot and watched a lot of animal planet hehe..

i think you really need to convince your whole family that in order for your dog to behave towards them they've got to be involved in the training too. it's a pack thing, he'll respect you but not the rest of your family, they're just playtoys! (or chewtoys in this case)

Well that makes me feel a bit better! But all I have to do is convince them to work with the dog Should be quite an interesting task to try! Will take a LONG time for him to respect them they're harder work than the dog lol!

Oh well no harm in trying after all its them that want me to ditch him!

I'm pleased to say though I don't think he'll be too much of a handful when I get in tonight as managed to get my dad to arrange for my neighbour to let him out and give him some attention whilst I'm stuck here at work and my dad has gone out again! At least my neighbour has no real problems with him, apart from getting him back in the house but she just gives him a bit of food and he'll go in for it, wish that trick would work for me everytime then again he isn't exactly a dumb dog thats for sure!

Natsuko, do you live with your family or are you on your own? If you live with them, than as catxx said, everyone in that household needs to be a part of that dog's training. You can have a dog that knows every trick in the book, is perfectly well behaved when you're around, but take you out of the picture, and he may not listen to people who havent'worked with him. The first issue is consistancy. When the dog jumps, you do one thing which tells him that jumping is not okay, that he wont' get the attention or reaction. But then a member of your family comes along and does something else that may actually be encouraging the dog to jump. Your dog will get mixed signals making training harder overall and meaning that he won't listen to all of you the same way. Even if its just a matter of telling your family to do or not to do certain things when the dog jumps or mouths, that's a start. But you all have to use the same commands, the same hand signals, the same body language so as not to confuse your dog. And when you start obedience training again, you'll need to teach the family the same things you learned in class.

If you live on your own, tell your family when they come over and you're not there, to do whatever it is you're using to deter your dog from jumping. Our trainer said that she has a sign outside her door that says "Do not pet the dogs when you come in the house." Basically, she was training her dogs that when visitors come, its not that big a deal, but she was also training her visitors to not give her dogs the attention and reaction they were seeking.

Now, I take it the dog has run of the house when no one is home. Maybe you could try using a dog crate. Then he won't be right there at the door when someone comes in. You can give him a bit to calm down before you let him out. Just another option to look in to.

I live with my dad, my mum, sister and niece come over once a week! When nobody is home he has run of the hall and kitchen (when he was only in the kitchen he started to destroy things through boredom)!

Unfortunately it is almost impossible to get my family to listen when it comes to getting the dog to act appropriately, my friends on the other hand are starting to get the hang of it which is a bonus but for my family well it just lands on deaf ears! One of the reasons I think he's jumping up more is because when he was younger everyone was encouraging him to jump up onto them!

Natsuko said:

One of the reasons I think he's jumping up more is because when he was younger everyone was encouraging him to jump up onto them!

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bingo. this is true of all animals; never EVER let the baby do something that won't be cute when it grows up. this means biting, jumping, and chewing on your stuff. while its too late for your current dog, remember this for your next one (b/c you seem like a multi-dog person deep down at heart )

if nothing else, tell your dad to do the knee-to-the-chest thing with a firm NO (say it like a big WOOF ). it must be a Southern US thing, because that's what we've always done to train large dogs not to jump too. so long as you're just knocking him to the side or bouncing him away from your body, it really shouldn't hurt him. its really simple and is almost instinctive really. its also a lot more effective than you rushing over and saying "oh no, baby, don't jump on the people, it's not nice, down baby, come on, heel..."

knocking the dog away lets him know that jumping won't earn him attention; you (his favorite person) running over and petting on him to calm him down only reinforces the idea that jumping will get him loved on.

sounds like you've got a pretty good dog for the most part; shame you can't drag your family off to obedience training!

In theory the knee thing would work if my dad wasnt sat on the sofa whilst the dog is doing this! (he's dead lazy)!

Yeah taking my family off to obedience classes would be alot better lol.....

I even tried showing my dad what to do when he misbehaves, it so happened that the dog decided he didnt want to play with his ball and was more interested in launching himself at me from the sofa and kept jumping up and biting (think he got himself a bit over excited), I just kept calm and told him to get off and moved my hands out of his way and kept moving out of range of his jumps when he didnt stop I just got him by the collar and took him towards the door, he quickly stopped what he was doing and tried the I'm innocent puppy dog eyes on me but I ignored it and chucked him out for a couple of minutes! My dad claims he does that but I know he's telling fibs as I often hear him shouting and balling at the dog to get off him (goes on for about five mins with him before he'll get up and chuck him out)

I'm pleased to say the dog spent the rest of the evening behaving I so wish other members of the family were that easy to sort out if you get my drift lol.......

Just thought I'd say a BIG thank you to evereyone for your help with my dog! I'm pleased to say that he is starting to behave a lot better now and we are slowly getting him to stop jumping! In fact yesterday my mum was impressed by the fact that he had behaved himself for once!

I just thought I'd also post another pic of him taken last night this time without any mud which makes a nice change!

Ok so jumping is pretty much under control now but I now have other problems!

1. He chews me when I get up (seems like he doesnt want to get up)
2. He has started to run off in the park to play with other dogs and is getting hard to get back (nearly lost him the other week stupid dog)

Number 2 isnt very often but I really don't fancy it happening again, he's not very treat orientated when we are out not even with chicken, beef, liver, dog treats etc! Sometimes I think he is deaf the way he acts but he has proved not to be! I could just keep him on the lead and not let him play but that would be mean

Oh and number 3. When I walk him somewhere pretty deserted if someone is behind us he starts to growl and keeps stopping and turning back, he also did it the other day when we were cutting through somewhere and he was off the lead and a woman came walking towards us and he went strange and started to growl and prance about I felt so embarassed by his behaviour as he wouldnt stop even when I tried to show him it was ok!

Our Dalmation is terrible for running off to play with other dogs humans horses anything that happens to come into view while she's off the lead but thankfully she is very treat oriented! but the other dog (a wee cross collie type ragamuffin) doesnt care about food but I found that I had to make myself much more interesting than the other distraction which meant lots of shouting on her and running away picking up sticks to play with and generally looking like a complete numpty in the park! But it works! Ok the sticks work too well but it has to be done on a regular basis not just when a distraction appears.

Try to be as fun for your dog as possible so that you are the most important person to play with when your out. so many people walk their dogs and dont even talk to them just ignore them while their walking and the dog doesnt have any real reason to come back when something much more fun appears on the horizon.

The dalmation can be a bit aggressive seeming when she's on the lead and we walk by people especially if they have dogs too. She starts growling and occasionally barking and pulling strongly towards them. I found the more het up I got about it and pulled her in or actually gave any negative attension to it she got a lot worse but if I put on the friendly play voice and just keep walking she calms right down. Try to think how you feel when people are walking up behind you do you get apprehensive about it at all? If you do your dog might be picking up on it all it takes is a slightly tighter hold on the lead or a sharper tone and it gets them on the defensive!

Lovely dog tho and well done for putting so much effort in!

i have the same with my boxer puppy, what we do it the yelp approach and as for the jumping up turn your back on him and don't give him any attension until he stops

Yelping made him worse everytime we've tried! He's slowly getting better in the general chewing (note slowly) but he's not any better on a morning I've tried alsorts to stop him yelping doesnt work (makes him more aggressive), restraining him makes him think I'm playing, I've even offered chews/toys etc to get his attention on to them but all fail my arm or legs depending on which he's closest to are much better to grab hold of! I managed to distract him this morning and did some a bit of the sit, down, paw, etc training which worked but I honestly don't always have time first thing on a morning to be doing this with him!

Also we've almost cracked the jumping problem he now sits for attention but is still really giddy and will try and jump when ignored but that is getting better!

yeah I talk to him all the time when were out walking and we play games I would say fetch but it isnt fetch as he doesnt like to give the toy up when were out walking! In the house no problem but when out its look at me I've got the toy and you cant catch me scenario but I dont mind as he tires himself out better with all the dodging he does lol! I tried the high pitched call his name wave a stick run off in opposite direction but I obviously wasnt as interesting as the other dog at the time!

try a water pistol, i don't mean those high powered one just a little cheap one and shoot him everytime he does something you don't want him to do, this always worked for my staffie

Wonder if its true wht ppl say dogs look like there owners?.
oops sorry wrong place.